


Truth And Consequence

by thatsnotmyname32



Series: Semi Precious [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: All that time travel already happened, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, BAMF Haruno Sakura, F/M, Mama Sakura, Sakura's hunting Zetsu, Sequel to An Exchange, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, breaking up, but I'm done for now, but having no luck, it will be tame compared to its predecessor, might put smut in, other tags too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:20:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25087567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsnotmyname32/pseuds/thatsnotmyname32
Summary: It's been a little over a year since that mission. A year, and now everything is catching up to him. How can things remain the same now that people know? And what secrets of hers are there yet to be revealed? Sequel to An Exchange. MinaSaku.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Namikaze Minato
Series: Semi Precious [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820068
Comments: 33
Kudos: 166





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! So this is a sequel to An Exchange. Don't ask me why, but I suddenly had ideas for the sequel right after I posted the smutty one shot. I couldn't decide on one, though. But eventually, this came together, and after several rewrites and a bit of frustration, here we are. Also, this will only have a couple more chapters, depending on what I write next.
> 
> But meh, I could change my mind. My brain is annoying that way.

Minato sighed as they raced through the open countryside. Right now, he was on a mission with Yamanaka Inoichi and Inuzuka Takeo. They were headed to Rice Country to deal with a group of bandits who had been terrorising a nearby village. Apparently their Daimyo wasn't interested in doing anything about it, so the villagers had gathered the funds necessary to pay for a Konoha team to take them out.

Jiraiya-sensei had decided to 'tag along'.

The Third had decided to send him because he apparently had a very important contact he needed to meet up with in the area. Minato was glad to have him, though, it had been awhile since he'd been on a mission with his sensei. He would only be helping out with the mission, then leaving afterwards to track down his contact.

As they ran, Minato's mind kept playing over the last conversation he'd had with his girlfriend, Uzumaki Kushina. She _hadn't_ been happy with him. Apparently, it all had to do with the fact that she'd overheard Shikaku talking about _that_ mission a little over a year ago to Hot Water Country. (her eavesdropping habits were rather annoying to the Hokage, Intelligence, and even T&I) Naturally he'd never told her anything about the mission, as it was a confidential S-ranked one. And she'd accepted that.

Until she'd overheard something Shikaku had said.

Kushina had refused to elaborate, but she'd pretty much told him that they were at a make-or-break point. One which he'd had every intention of trying to fix, but then this mission had come up. When he'd told her, she'd made a snarky comment about him keeping it in his pants this time, and he knew, _knew_ , that she knew.

He sighed.

When they'd gotten back to the village, Shikaku had reminded him of the sensitive nature of the mission, leaving it to him to figure out that he wasn't to say anything. Time had passed, and everything had been fine. Until three days ago. He _really_ wished that he wasn't on this mission, because he had the feeling that timing was crucially important for the two of them, and a large part of him worried what Kushina might do.

In the meantime, they had bandits to take out. According to the mission brief, these bandits were made up mostly of shinobi deserters from Earth Country. They'd 'set up shop' a few months ago, having taken to harassing the surrounding areas for 'tribute' to leave them alone. They'd been to the village to collect information, and now were headed out to deal with it.

Takeo suddenly stopped and held up his hand. His canine partner, Shujo, had stopped and was sniffing the air. They all came up behind them, stances alert.

"The camp is nearby," Takeo said, then pointed. "That way."

Minato reached out with his chakra. "I sense them," he said. "Fifteen chuunin level, seven jounin."

"A piece of cake then," Takeo said, a feral grin on his face.

Inoichi sighed. "Orderly, please," he said. "Let's do this properly, Takeo, unlike _last_ time."

Takeo just huffed.

They moved in, finding a good vantage point to survey the camp. "It's a farm," Takeo noted. "Farmhouse, mill, barn… Most of them are outside. Minato, can you sense where each one is?"

Minato nodded, and laid out where they all were, ending with, "The strongest jounin level signature is inside with one of the chuunin ones, and… one that I can barely sense."

"A prisoner maybe," Inoichi guessed. "Alright, Minato, set up a barrier around the camp. We don't want any of them to get away now."

Minato tracked the circumference of the camp, placing some seals, then rejoined his team mates. "Are we ready now?" Jiraiya asked seriously, and when the affirmative was given, they dove in.

The fight was over in a matter of minutes. With brutal efficiency, they eliminated their targets, until only one was left. The strong jounin in the house hadn't left it. Minato was ready to go in, but was forestalled by a loud voice.

"Jiraiya-baka!" the voice yelled. "Is that you?!"

Jiraiya perked up at that, cocked his head, then relaxed. He gave the stand down signal to them, and they obeyed.

"Sakura-hime!" Jiraiya called. "Is that your dulcet tones I hear? Why don't you come out?"

"Did you give the all clear?" the voice, Sakura, called back.

"Of course I did, honey-pie!" Jiraiya yelled.

A beat, then, "I warned you I'd gut you if you ever called me that again!"

Jiraiya chuckled. "Just come on out, Sakura," he said.

The door to the farmhouse burst open, and a woman stormed out. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she practically screeched. "I've been working on these guys for _ages_! You've _ruined_ my hard fucking work!"

"Sorry, Hime," Jiraiya said sheepishly. "It couldn't be helped. It was a mission!"

She 'hmphed' and glared at him.

Minato was struck dumb. It was _her_. The woman from the inn in Hot Water. The woman he'd… Well, he _never_ thought he'd ever see her again. She was… she was here? Images of that day, of their tryst, popped up in his mind, as clear as if it had only just happened. He was taken back to the conflicting emotions he'd felt that day, and was dangerously close to panicking.

He was pretty sure no one could tell, though.

"You!" Sakura (he thought her name was _brilliantly_ apt) barked, and for a moment, Minato thought she'd seen him, but she was glaring at Inoichi. "You're a Yamanaka! You'd better hope you know that postmortem jutsu, because if you don't, and my time was wasted…"

"Sakura, stop threatening him," Jiraiya said, and he sounded amused. "I'm sure Inoichi can help you out."

Sakura glared at him, then shifted a burden she was holding close to her chest. "Alright," she said, then pointed to the one that had given them the most trouble. "Go on then, that one!"

"May I ask what I'm looking for?" Inoichi enquired, calm in the face of the raging pinkette.

"…You're looking for information on a 'man' named Zetsu," Sakura told him, and left it at that.

"Maybe you should sit a bit," Takeo said suddenly. "I'm sure the kid would appreciate it, looks like he's getting a bit fussy."

Minato did a double-take as he realised that, yes indeed, Sakura had a small child wrapped in blankets. Was… was that…?

" _She_ ," Sakura corrected. "Little Naru's a girl."

" _Please_ tell me you didn't?" Jiraiya groaned.

"Didn't what?" Sakura snapped at him, glaring.

" _Tell me_ you didn't… not with these guys!" Jiraiya almost begged.

Sakura burst out laughing. "You think? Ah-ha! Oh, this is almost too funny!" her laughter was light and refreshing. "Oh, you pervert! I've only been with these guys for three months! Naru's _four_ months old!"

"Then who?" But she interrupted him.

"Sorry, but this is none of your business," Sakura said, her tone firm, even if there was still a hint of mirth in it. "Totally unrelated to anything that you need to know."

Jiraiya just sighed a _long_ -suffering sigh.

In the meantime, Minato was quietly having yet another mental breakdown. Four months… four months… The numbers added up. If the child really was… If she was _his_ daughter… He had to know. He stepped forward, intending on asking, no, demanding, but she turned away and went over to where Inoichi was setting up for her jutsu.

"You find anything," she said to him, "remember that it's like… SSSSS etcetera, etcetera, class information. Alright?"

Inoichi nodded grimly. "Alright," he agreed, then formed hand signs and 'dove in'.

"Hey, you alright in there, Minato?" Takeo asked.

His question drew attention to him, and Minato nodded stiffly. "I'm fine," he managed to get out.

Sakura was staring at him. He wondered if she'd even noticed him before now, but her expression was unreadable. She looked away, back to Inoichi. And of course, now Jiraiya was looking at him worriedly too.

"You _sure_ you're okay, kid?" his sensei asked.

Minato nodded jerkily, and tried to find words, but then Sakura spoke up. "Leave him be, he's dealing with a bit of a shock," she said.

"What shock would that be?" Takeo asked.

"…He probably never thought he'd see me again, among other things," Sakura said.

"You two have met?" Jiraiya asked.

"…A year or more ago, in Hot Water Country," Sakura said, her tone indicating that she wasn't going to say anything more.

The child ( _his child?_ ) started fussing then, and Sakura's attention became solely focused on it. Her. She walked off, back into the farmhouse, and Minato felt a strong urge to go after her and demand answers. He glanced at his sensei, who was looking between him, the farmhouse, back again to him, then at the farmhouse. Minato saw the instant he figured it out.

"Ah, so _that's_ what she meant," was all he'd say, though.

Before Minato could decide on whether or not to chase after her, Sakura came back out. She had an overstuffed bag in her hand, and she sat on a stump, rummaging through it and pulling out a small container and a spoon. Takeo went over and knelt next to them.

"You got her on solids already?" he asked, practically cooing at the baby. "My Suzu is refusing to give up her mother's milk right now."

"Well, she _is_ four months old," Sakura said. "And this is more a mix of milk and solids. 'Milk mush', I call it."

Takeo grinned at that. "Oh!" he said. "Those are some pretty eyes. I get now why you called her Naru."

Sakura smiled nostalgically as she started to feed the baby. "Lapis lazuli," she said, and sighed. "The blue, blue eyes of her daddy."

Takeo stood and moved away, even as Minato took hesitant steps toward the mother and daughter duo. Soon, he was close enough to see little Naru, who did indeed have blue eyes like his own, and soft, downy blonde hair. She was… She _had_ to be his daughter. It all _fit_. He stood there, just watching her feed the baby.

Soon, not only was Naru done, but so was Inoichi. He stood, releasing a sigh and moving away from the corpse before him. Sakura stood, handed Naru over to a still cooing Takeo, then indicated for Inoichi to follow her. The two went off a short distance while he told her whatever it was that he'd seen in the remnants of the dead ninja's brain. They were over there for almost ten minutes, and when they came back, Inoichi performed a fire jutsu to destroy the corpse.

"Well?" Jiraiya asked.

"…I have to go back to Konoha," Sakura said, taking Naru back from Takeo. "There's nothing more I can find out just yet without checking the… you-know-what… back in the village."

Jiraiya nodded. "Well, we've got to go tell the villagers that these guys are dead," he said. "Then we can head back."

"What about your contact?" Takeo asked. "Unless… was Sakura it?"

Jiraiya nodded and Sakura smirked. "Aw! Were you worried 'bout little old me?" she asked, all saccharine sweet.

"Of course I was, Hime," Jiraiya played along in what he probably thought was a sexy voice. "You _know_ how much you mean to me, darling."

Sakura scoffed at him. "In your dreams, you perve," she rejected.

"Every single night, Hime," he said, and she lashed out, cuffing the back of his head.

"Liar," she said, but fondly.

Sakura didn't go with them to the village, instead she met them afterwards, well away from it. As they all travelled back to Fire Country, Minato kept trying to figure out how he was going to ask Sakura for a definite answer on Naru's parentage. Even though he was pretty damned certain, he still needed to _hear it from her_. Yet the whole way back, there was no opportunity.

As they walked through the gates (Sakura rummaging through the bottom of her pack, because she'd buried it under everything, and sealed it away, so that no one could find her papers but her) Jiraiya sent Inoichi, Takeo, and himself off to the Hokage, obviously intending to speak to Sakura alone. "Tell sensei we'll go see him later," Jiraiya ordered, then the two (and a half) walked off.


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little over a year since that mission. A year, and now everything is catching up to him. How can things remain the same now that people know? And what secrets of hers are there yet to be revealed? Sequel to An Exchange. MinaSaku.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! New chapter. There's only one left, too, and it's all nice and planned out.

She was waiting for him when he returned to his apartment.

"Kushina," he greeted, and leaned down to kiss her lips, but she turned her head so that he only got her cheek. He sighed.

"We have to talk, you know," Kushina said, and he nodded.

"I know," Minato agreed.

"I… I know about what happened on your mission," she told him. "I'm not really angry that you had to… sleep with another woman. It's part of being a ninja, and I accept that. Kinda hafta…" (that last bit was grumbled) "I mean, we're schooled extensively on it in kunoichi classes and everything! But…! It's just that you didn't _tell me_! _That's_ why I'm so mad at you, you know?"

"The mission was classified," Minato tried to explain. "And Shikaku pressed not to tell anyone about it."

Kushina gave him an exasperated look. "You idiot," she said. "Of course you don't tell me about the mission! But you _should_ have at least said that you had to… had to… Well, you know! I didn't need details. In _any_ way!"

He… honestly hadn't thought of it that way. And Kushina must have guessed that, because she rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed huff. "You're a naive idiot," she said.

"How… how can we fix this?" Minato asked.

Kushina shrugged. "Dunno if we can," she admitted. "Relationships are about honesty, and you weren't honest with me. I don't know if I can… I mean, I told you _my_ dark secret, but… I dunno if I can trust…"

Honesty. Trust. And of course, now Minato had an even bigger secret, even if he hadn't confirmed it properly yet. All he had was a gut feeling, and he trusted those. But how could he tell Kushina? How could he find the words? She was right though, they needed to have complete honesty, even if he didn't know if… He had a child to think of now. Would they be able to overcome this? Together?

She must have seen something in his expression or posture, because she became suspicious. "What is it?" Kushina asked, her tone wary.

Minato sighed heavily, then said, "The mission I was on… The one I just got back from… I ran into her again."

Kushina stiffened. "What happened?" she asked in a wooden tone.

He brought a hand up and ran it through his hair frustratedly. "Turns out, she wasn't some random civilian," he said. "She's… Apparently she's one of sensei's contacts, and is a kunoichi of the Leaf. And… she came back here with us to the village."

"Oh."

The word was simple, bland, and didn't sound right coming from Kushina's lips. Minato could hear her doubt all in that one word, her insecurities. He felt terrible about the fact that he was only going to make it worse, but she needed to know. Even if it ended up destroying their relationship, he _couldn't_ keep this from her. So he continued on.

"She… She has a child with her," he said, and he saw Kushina's eyes go wide. "A baby, really. And… The age matches up. I mean, she could be… She has my hair and eyes… But I don't know if… I mean, I have a feeling, but I don't know for _sure…_ "

Kushina's breath hitched and she let out an involuntary sob. "You're a _father_?!" she choked out.

He moved to comfort her, but she pushed him away. " _Don't touch me_!" she practically snarled at him. "You're… you're… I just… I'm sorry! I just can't! We're… we're done, Minato. I just can't…!"

She flew past him and out the door, and even though he wanted to go after her, he knew he couldn't. His heart protested, screaming at him, but his head told him he'd only make things worse. Minato's breathing was shallow, rapid. Kushina had just… _She'd broken up with him_! He knew it was because of the child. She'd shared with him her dreams before of someday being a mother… Of _him_ being the father.

Right now, he really hated himself.

The anguish in her eyes… Minato stared out the window of his apartment, noting the low light. The sun would be setting in about an hour. He needed a drink. He started rummaging through his cupboards, only to remember he hadn't bought any new alcohol since the night his friends had come over to drink it all. So… He put away all his mission gear, had a quick shower, changed into a new set of clothing, and headed out the door to look for a bar to drown his sorrows in.

OoOoO

Sakura and Jiraiya were staring at a white Zetsu, contained in a sealed room, with additional seals on the being itself. Naru was currently being entertained by the Hokage's wife, Biwako, one of the few that Sakura would leave her baby with. There was no way she would bring a small child in here, after all.

The white Zetsu fragment was grinning. "You didn't find Brother, did you?" it asked. "Poor, poor, Blossom. Brother knows you're looking for him, he won't make it easy for you."

"I'm aware of that, you freak," Sakura said calmly, then sighed. "You should be aware, also, that since I couldn't find him, I'm gonna need more samples."

Zetsu frowned. "It hurts when you do that," it complained.

"Yeah? Well, it hurts when you and your brothers kill people," Sakura countered. "But you don't care about that, do you?"

The Zetsu shook its head. "Oh well," it sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter. Brother's going to succeed, and when he does, Mother will make it all better. You'll see."

Sakura grit her teeth. "I _did_ see, you asshole!" she seethed. "It _wasn't_ better!"

The Zetsu grinned. "Maybe not for you," it growled in an ominous tone.

"Enough of this," Jiraiya interrupted before Sakura could snap. "Sakura, get your sample. Then we can get this messy business done."

"Yeah, listen to the pervert!" the Zetsu said. "Big Brother has a _lot_ to say to you."

Sakura gave the thing a dirty look, then raised her hand, activating a chakra scalpel. "You're a turd," she said blandly.

"Names, names!" the Zetsu chided. "No need to be mean while you're slicing me up, now."

Sakura extracted a portion of the Zetsu's cells, catching them in a petri dish. Then she and Jiraiya left, reactivating the seals they'd deactivated to get in.

"Bye! See you next time!" the Zetsu called as they walked away.

Sakura huffed. She was so intensely _frustrated_! She'd been here three years now, and was nowhere _near_ getting to Zetsu. Sure at first, she'd tracked them easily, taking out an invalid Madara in the process. But then black Zetsu, the original one, had managed to protect the ten tails husk from her, and fled before she could doing anything more.

She had no idea where he was now, he could be _anywhere_.

Sakura and Jiraiya made their way to the hospital, where a lab had been set up ages ago for their purpose. There was a scroll in the lab, full of seals that were beyond the level of anyone outside of Uzushio to replicate, that acted almost like a sensor would. If you had anything with chakra, you could use the scroll to find the source of that chakra, be it a person, a summon, or even a ninjutsu scroll.

It could lead you to where your target was, and could even predict movements based on previous applications to the scroll. It was reliable, and Sakura had used it successfully before. It was just that Zetsu was so good at staying at least one step ahead of her. She often wondered how far behind she'd be without the scroll.

Once the scroll was laid out in front of her, Sakura tipped the Zetsu cells onto the centre of the scroll, before activating it. The scroll glowed, and Jiraiya whistled in awe. "I'll never get tired of seeing that," he said.

Sakura shushed him, and he pouted.

Slowly, the glow died down, leaving behind the superimposed image of the elemental nations, with several spots glowing almost as brightly. "Rain, Tea, Sand…" Sakura muttered. "I can't get into Rain, otherwise I would have made sure Kurosaki got there, and followed him. Dammit! Three places, with only two of them an option? Shit!"

"You kiss your daughter with that mouth?" Jiraiya quipped, and Sakura glared at him.

"Shut up, you're no better," she ordered, then ended the jutsu with a sigh, rolling the scroll back up and putting it back in its sealed drawer.

"Were you ever going to tell me about your little tyke?" Jiraiya asked as they exited the room. "I mean, based on what you told me when I saw you last, and going on little Naru's physical features… Minato's her dad, isn't he?"

Sakura remained mute, refusing to answer, and Jiraiya sighed. "Your silence is very telling, you know," he said.

"…I know," Sakura sighed as they reached Biwako's office.

She collected Naru from the woman, who'd very obviously fallen head over heels for the little girl, and then she and Jiraiya left the hospital.

"What do you want to do now?" Jiraiya asked.

"…I'll get things into order," Sakura said. "Then prepare what I'll need for the mission."

"You gonna tell Minato he's a father?" Jiraiya asked, adding when Sakura remained silent, "A man has a right to know when he's got a kid."

Sakura sighed. "I know," she said.

"Got a feeling he already knows though," Jiraiya said, arms up behind his head as he walked. "He was looking quite panicked the whole way back here. Don't blame him, of course. Little Naru looks just like him."

"Do you think…?" Sakura started to say, then bit her lip anxiously and left it at that.

As they walked, Sakura suddenly got the feeling they were being watched, and she looked over to her left to see Uzumaki Kushina watching them. The woman looked distraught, and she was staring at Naru in Sakura's arms. She wanted to go over to her, to reassure her that she wasn't here to steal Minato away from her, but then Kushina whirled around and fled. Sakura glanced up at Jiraiya, whose lips were pursed unhappily as he watched after the retreating red head.

Sakura sighed, but refused to say or do anything about this mess.

They eventually reached one of Jiraiya's favourite inns, a quality establishment compared to some of the dives she knew he'd stayed in before. They booked two rooms (Sakura _refused_ to room with his unbearable snoring!), dumped his stuff in his room, then he left to go see the Hokage.

"I'll let sensei know what happened," he said as he dropped her off at her room. "I'll probably be awhile, don't wait up for me."

He leered at her, and she punched him.

Sakura spent the next few hours going through her belongings, feeding Naru and putting her to bed, and cleaning herself up. She stood in the bathroom naked, eyeing herself critically in the mirror, before she stepped under the hot steam of the shower. The farmhouse she'd been staying at had had hot, running water, but it was nice to be back in a civilised village, where she didn't have to worry about lecherous looks, and vague threats if she didn't do as they'd asked.

She snorted into the water spray. As if they could!

Soon enough, Sakura was curled up on her bed, Naru in a bassinet she'd unsealed from storage. She was in a silken, lacy night dress, one she hadn't been able to wear in some time, so she was indulging while she could. In her hands was a science fiction novel, one of the few things she'd had on her when she'd come back in time three years ago. It hadn't even been printed yet, but it was one of her favourites.

She was just reading through one of the scenes where the antagonist and protagonist butt heads, when a pounding knock sounded at her door. Wondering if it was Jiraiya come to tell her how his meeting with the Hokage went, she sighed frustratedly and put her book aside, briefly checking to make sure Naru wasn't disturbed by the noise. She pulled a dressing gown on and went to answer the door.

He wasn't letting up with his knocking, and Sakura yanked the door open with a growled, "What the heck do you…?"

Her words died on her lips when she instead came face to face with a drunkenly swaying Minato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemon next chapter!


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little over a year since that mission. A year, and now everything is catching up to him. How can things remain the same now that people know? And what secrets of hers are there yet to be revealed? Sequel to An Exchange. MinaSaku.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! Yay! :) I'm so proud of myself. Other than one shots and some drabbles I put on complete 'just because', I haven't finished a story in a loooong time. But now I have. :D
> 
> Warning! Lemon ahead. Also… Plot twists!

"Sakura," he greeted her, her name on his lips slightly slurred.

"Minato," she replied evenly. "How can I help you?"

He swayed dangerously close to her, before leaning back and straightening. "Can I come in?" he asked.

Minato saw her hesitance, she didn't want him there. "Please?" he asked. "I… We need to talk."

Sakura bit her bottom lip, and he stared in fascination, before she sighed and stepped back to allow him access to her room. "Alright, but keep it down," she said. "Naru's sleeping."

He followed her in, the door closing securely behind him. He barely remembered to remove his shoes, as the flooring of the room was tatami. The place was a mix of modern and traditional, and he rather liked it. Once they were in, Sakura turned to look at him, her arms crossed.

"What is it you want to talk about?" she asked.

"N-Naru," Minato stuttered, and silently cursed himself for getting soused. "I want, no, I _need_ to know… Is… Is she _mine_?"

Sakura pursed her lips and looked away, before nodding ever so slightly. Minato let out a sigh and sagged, not in relief, but in acceptance of the fact. He collapsed to his knees on the floor, hanging his head low. He took in a shaky breath, eyes closed as he allowed it all to sink in. He opened his eyes to see a pair of feet in front of him, and looked up to see Sakura standing before him. She knelt down with him.

"I'm sorry," she told him.

"Can… Can I see her?" Minato asked, but Sakura shook her head.

"She's sleeping," she said. "And you're _drunk_."

Minato nodded his head. So he was. "Of course, of course," he said, and was going to say more, but he cut off when her hand touched the side of his face, glowing green with medical chakra. "You're a medic?"

She nodded, and he _felt_ her chakra flow through him, and it kind of burned. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Burning the alcohol from your blood," she told him. "It's that, or you leave," she added at his incensed look.

Minato reluctantly allowed her to purge the alcohol from his system, removing his buzz and restoring basic cognitive function. He still felt a little dizzy when she was done, and figured he was still going to have a heck of a hangover in the morning, but at least his thoughts were clearer. At least now, maybe she'd let him see his daughter?

Sakura stood, then held her hand out, yanking him to his feet with a surprisingly easy strength once he took it. Then she led him into the surprisingly spacious bedroom and over to a low, bamboo bassinet. Once again he fell to his knees, this time in front of the bassinet, where Naru was sleeping soundly. He reached a hand in and gently stroked Naru's blonde hair with a shaking finger. Naru stirred slightly, but didn't wake.

"My girlfriend, Kushina… She broke up with me," he said. "I told her about Naru, because I was pretty damned sure… She… She had plans, you see, to one day be a mother, and she… we…"

"I'm sorry," Sakura repeated from earlier, only this time her words were filled with bittersweet emotion. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

She fell silent, and Minato turned to look at her. Sakura had sat on the floor, on the futon that served as the bed for the room, and she looked rather upset. Minato moved over to her, and though he wanted to comfort her, he just sat there in front of her instead. Tentatively he reached his hand out to cover hers.

"You can't regret her," he said. "I… She's your daughter. _Our_ daughter. You can't…"

Sakura nodded and let out a depreciating little huff. "Of course," she said, then sighed and looked over in the direction of the bassinet.

Minato stared at her, remembering that day, and why he'd gone through with sleeping with her. It hadn't just been about the mission, even if that was a major contributing factor. There was something about Sakura that drew him to her, and he'd almost… That day, he'd… But it didn't really matter. She'd left straight after, and he hadn't seen her again until today.

The hand he had on hers stayed there as his other one came up to lightly brush against her cheek. Sakura's eyes shot to his as he tucked stray strands of her rose pink hair behind her ear. Minato leaned in, lightly brushing his lips against hers. She let him kiss her, and even though their lips never parted, there was still something in it that called to a deep, hidden part of him.

But then she was pulling away. "No," she said. "We can't."

"Why can't we?" Minato asked, his voice slightly husky and his hand still cupping her cheek.

"Kushina…"

"She broke up with me, I told you," he said.

Sakura shook her head, pulling out of his grasp. "That doesn't mean you should just go jumping into it with me," she said. "Besides, you'll work it out with her eventually." He heard the surety in her voice, and he frowned.

Minato was going to say something, but then Naru woke and started fussing. Her soft cries brought him back down to reality, and he moved out of the way as Sakura scrambled past him. She reached in and pulled Naru out of the bassinet, cradling her and rocking her, cooing to her to settle her. Minato watched in fascination as she calmed their daughter expertly.

"Could I… May I hold her?" he asked.

Sakura looked uncertain and reluctant, but eventually held her out, coaxing him through properly holding her. "Support her head with the crook of your arm," she said. "And keep her close to your chest! Don't hold her out and away from you… That's perfect."

And it really was. Minato looked down at his perfect little daughter in awe. She was… She was… She was just so _beautiful_. He couldn't believe she was really a part of him! She stared up at him with those big, blue eyes of hers, which were slowly drooping tiredly. It wasn't long before she fell asleep in his arms, and he reluctantly allowed Sakura to take her from him to put her back in the bassinet.

He sat there for the longest time, unable to form any words. He closed his eyes, letting out a long, shuddering breath, then opened them to look up at Sakura. She was staring at him worriedly, but she really didn't need to be concerned. Minato reached out and pulled her to him.

"Thank you," he murmured as he held her close.

She was stiff in his arms for a moment, before she slowly wrapped her arms around his waist. "You're welcome," she said.

OoOoO

Sakura leaned into his embrace, allowing him to hold her. But then… Okay, he was nuzzling her neck now. So, they were really doing this again? She tried to pull away, but he held her tightly to him. She supposed, if she really wanted to, she could use her strength to pull away, but… Did she really want to? She was leaving soon. She _had_ to go, she hadn't stopped Zetsu yet. There was still too much ahead of her, and hardly anything of worth behind her.

So she gave in, _again_. She selfishly gave in and let him kiss her, let him hold her, let him _touch_ her. Minato pushed her back into the futon, hands caressing her as they kissed, one hand untying the belt of her dressing gown, parting it to reveal her night dress. Sakura whimpered as he cupped a breast, the silky material the only barrier between them.

They divested one another of their clothes, kissing and caressing them away. Minato parted her thighs, hovering above her as he slipped a finger, then two, inside her ready warmth. Sakura bucked her hips up into his hand, even as she gripped him tightly, causing him to shudder above her. Their lips met in a passionate crescendo, as he finally aligned himself with her and pushed in.

It was nothing like their first, tumultuous meeting, where they'd been rough and desperate. This time, it was sweet and slow. Minato moved with deliberate purpose inside her, caressing and cherishing her instead of dominating her. They rolled over, and Sakura rode him to the highest peaks, before tumbling down the other side. In their aftermath, they kissed and they touched, before they started the march all over again.

He ran a hand along her spine as they lay there. Sakura made a move to get off him, but he held her in place. Reluctantly she stayed, until she felt him growing inside her again, and she rode him once more until he flipped her onto her back and pressed himself urgently into her. Her cries were muffled by his lips upon hers as he brought her to her third orgasm.

They drifted off to sleep, though for Sakura it was only a light doze. Minato slept soundly, as one would after the rather tumultuous day he'd had, emotionally and physically. As she lay watching him sleep, light of a new day dawned through the windows and she sighed. She couldn't stay, no matter how much she might want to. So she carefully disentangled herself from him, pulled on some civilian clothes, and began to gather her things.

When she was out in the living section of the room, she had her bag ready, everything sealed or packed away in it. Naru was bundled up to her chest, sleeping peacefully. Jiraiya should be meeting her at the gates soon, if he even bothered to be up on time. Otherwise she'd just leave without him and wait for him to catch up. (he knew the drill)

"Where are you going?"

Sakura whirled at the sound of Minato's voice, then sighed at the sight of him there, in just a pair of pants. "I have a mission, Minato," she told him. "I was never going to stay here. I'm sorry."

He took a step towards her, then stopped. "What about Naru?" he asked. "She… Surely you realise she's too young to… Is your mission really so important that you can't just stay here with her? With _me_? Surely someone else…"

"There's no one else," Sakura interrupted him. "I'm sorry, but there isn't anyone else who can… It's just how it is. Sorry."

"Stop apologising!" Minato snapped, and Sakura flinched. He sighed. "Just, stop apologising, please."

Sakura nodded. "Will I ever see you both again?" Minato asked, and she shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not," she said. "Don't go holding out for something that might not happen. Live your life. Make up with Kushina, or don't, whatever happens. But… don't wait for me to come back. I might not."

Minato crossed the rest of the distance between them. "Please come back," he whispered as he cupped her cheek, leaning down to press a light kiss by her ear. "Both of you."

"I can't promise…" Sakura tried to tell him, but he silenced her with a kiss.

She let it happen a moment, then she pulled away. "Goodbye, Minato," she said.

She left him standing there, refusing to look back, and holding Naru tightly to her.

OoOoO

It had been _hours_. Sakura was walking along, wondering if Jiraiya was even gonna show. Konoha was well behind her now, all that drama with it. She smiled down at Naru, who was gurgling delightedly at the brightness around her.

"Hey, Sakura! Wait up!" a voice called, and she rolled her eyes before turning to see Jiraiya leaping down out of the trees towards her.

"You sure took your time getting here," she remarked.

"Cut me a break, Hime!" he defended. "I was busy cleaning up _your_ mess, I'll have you know."

Sakura frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, I had to deal with an overly emotional Minato before I could leave," he told her. "That boy's already such a sap, but you've gone and made it worse!"

"Sorry," Sakura mumbled, then sighed.

Jiraiya just hummed lightheartedly, then reached out his pinkie for Naru's flailing hands to grab. "I've been meaning to ask, is she named for a certain character in a certain book?" he asked. "You know, one written by a certain _talented_ author?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "There's _no way_ I'd name a child after any of your characters," she denied. "Naru's name means lapis lazuli. Pretty sure I've already said this."

Naru was tugging gleefully on Jiraiya's finger, until he reclaimed his digit. "So you named her for Minato's eyes?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"Didn't even think of him," she said, then mumbled in confession, "It's not like he's her father or anything."

Jiraiya stopped in his tracks. "Wh-what?"

Sakura shrugged. "He's not her father," she repeated. "In fact, I'm not even her mother."

Jiraiya was gaping at her. "Then how… why… who….? _Why_ have you been telling everyone she _is_?" he demanded. "Why did you tell _Minato_?!"

"I swore an oath to her dying mother to protect her," Sakura told him. "When I met her, she was going into premature labour. She told me… She was a missing nin from Kumo. Apparently Naru's father had a bloodline that Kumo wanted to breed into their village. Sumiye didn't know that at first, but when she found out… I _promised_ her, Jiraiya."

"So you've just been letting everyone think the child is yours?" Jiraiya asked, and she nodded.

"Her _deathbed_ , Jiraiya," Sakura reiterated. "I won't go back on that promise. If I have to let people think that she's mine, to protect her, then I _will_. Even if that means letting Minato think he is her father."

"…You do realise that Minato and Kushina broke up, don't you?" he asked. "You've messed with certain events of the time line."

"I don't care, fuck the time line," Sakura said. "So many terrible things happened before I came back. We were _losing_ that war, I've told you that. I'm lucky I was even able to make it back to the past in the first place. Allowing things to play out as before won't work. Besides, maybe Minato and Kushina will work things out?"

"I dunno about that…" Jiraiya said uncertainly.

They walked awhile longer, then Sakura said, "Promise me something? If something happens to me, promise that you'll bring Naru to Minato? I know he'll look after her. Even if you do tell him she's not his, though I'd prefer you didn't."

"…Alright," he agreed, then sighed heavily. "Where are we headed then?"

"Suna," Sakura said. "I need to get my hands on a certain cantankerous old poisons expert…"

OoOoO

_Three years later…_

Minato was watching as Kakashi and Obito sparred, and Rin sat studying her medical texts. Life was pretty good right now, even considering that they were in the middle of a war. He had his team, he and Kushina were friends now (he doubted they were ever going to get back together) and the Third had started to 'secretly' instruct him as a candidate for the Hat. (though he wasn't allowed to tell anyone yet, obviously)

The only thing really missing was that someone special in his life, a family.

A chakra signature flared then, and he recognised his sensei. He was headed straight in his direction, so he just waited for him to find him. Once he did, Minato turned to greet him, but the words stuck in his throat at the sight before him.

Jiraiya stood there, a sombre look on his face. But what really got him was the sight of a blonde little girl clinging to him, a three year old toddler, if he was guessing correctly. His eyes searched out his sensei's beseechingly, but the sannin shook his head sombrely.

"I'm sorry," he said.

_No…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not the end! I'll be doing another fic, rounding it out to a trilogy. Or maybe more. :P And before anyone complains, the twist of Naru's parentage has been planned since I typed out the very first sentence, nay, the very first word, of this fic.
> 
> Also… People can bond with children that aren't their own. Otherwise adoption would never work. Just feel like I need to say that for some reason… :(
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Don't be too mean if you comment.


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